Matt Bahen: To Plant Trees Under Whose Shade I'll Never Sit

Matt Bahen's latest exhibition,  To Plant Trees Under Whose Shade I'll Never Sit, draws heavily on the literary concept of Chekhov's gun, encapsulating the idea that "if there is a gun on the wall in the first act, it needs to go off in the third." This is evident in the recurring motif of a winding stream, which flows into a waterfall or raging current, representing a thematic culmination. The flower motif, a prominent feature in the artist’s previous body of work, has evolved into delicate pink flowers scattered throughout the foreground of many pieces. In the artist’s earlier works, the pink flowers played a central role, acting as "the figure" and evoking a sense of the uncanny, drawing attention to their mysterious presence within the composition. In the current body of work, however, these flowers have shifted from being focal, unsettling elements to more subtle, integrated features. While they no longer dominate the viewer's experience, they remain essential, providing a cohesive thread across the paintings. The artist has likened them to “Lebowski’s rug,” as they quietly tie the entire composition together, offering a subtle yet indispensable unity to the work. The works are crafted through the collage of multiple landscapes, evoking a subtle sense of unreality. As artist John Scott once said, an artist’s job is akin to being the "interior decorators of the forum of ideas"—a role the artist embraces, especially in a time of unraveling conventional orthodoxies. The paintings themselves feature thick, evenly applied paint, creating a balanced tension across the surface that allows the works to hum with vibrancy. The exhibition’s title, drawn from the Greek proverb “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in,” speaks to the deeper, forward-looking themes present throughout the show.